With one week left, Illinois gubernatorial candidates continue campaign

[November 01, 2022]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – With one week before the Nov. 8 election, candidates for Illinois governor continue their campaigns.

Incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been campaigning across the state with various other Democratic candidates for statewide, statehouse and congressional seats. In Springfield this weekend, he rallied Democrats.

“Are you ready for the fight?” Pritzker asked. “Are you ready for the fight? Let’s go get them, everybody.”

On Monday, Republican challenger Darren Bailey welcomed former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Tulsi Gabbard. The former congresswoman has since abandoned the Democratic party and told AM 560 that Bailey is the man for the people.

“I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to be here to support Darren to help encourage people who maybe are undecided or who are independents or maybe Democrats who are frustrated with the status quo are looking for real change, now is the time to make that change,” Gabbard said.

Pritzker’s campaign preempted Gabbard’s visit to Glen Ellyn Monday evening with a statement calling Gabbard a “conspiracy theorist,” “virulently anti-LGBTQ” and a “Russian apologist.”

Gabbard has said the Democrat’s “woke” ideology goes too far and distracts from real issues.

“Things obviously like incredibly – rising crime rates, heavily restricted controls by the government throughout the COVID pandemic, parents being told ‘Hey you don't have a right to have a say in what your child is being taught in school.’ These are all things that aren't Democrat or Republican, they are issues that are affecting every person and every family in this state, and that this governor, Governor Pritzker, has failed on,” Gabbard said.

In a separate interview with The Center Square, Bailey said if he beats out Pritzker, he’d clean out state agencies.

“I cannot look at any agency and say it’s performing anywhere near, most of them are utter failures,” Bailey said. “So putting good people, people with common sense, business-minded people in place to redevelop budgets and priorities and make these agencies work for the people again.”
 

Libertarian candidate Scott Schluter said since Illinois has legalized cannabis, on his first day, he’d pardon all nonviolent drug offenders.

“That’s one of the first things that I want to do, try to give some of the people their freedom back,” Schluter told The Center Square.

Pritzker’s campaign didn’t respond to interview requests. He continued campaigning across the state with several stops on Monday.

Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of Springfield.